Movie review: ‘Fantastic Beasts’ makes for fanciful fun

Friday

Nov 18, 2016 at 2:01 AM

Ed Symkus More Content Now

For those Harry Potter fans who have been in the doldrums for the past couple of years — no more books, no more movies — here’s a treat for you. No, let’s kick that up a step. This is a treat even for non-Potter fans. Back in early 2001, between the publications of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” and “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” Potter creator J.K. Rowling released a little gift for her adoring hordes: A miniscule textbook of about 40 pages, titled “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which listed and defined different creatures or “beasts” that existed in the wizarding world. Written by Rowling’s alter-ego Newt Scamander, the book temporarily sated her fans, and made a ton of money for the charitable organization Comic Relief.

Now, 15 years later, let’s hear it for Rowling who, tackling her first screenplay, turned her plot-free book into a marvelously entertaining film and story that takes place in New York about seven decades before her England-based Potter stories.

Note to fans of the book: Most of the truly scary beasts have not made it into the movie (that could happen in the sequels that will most certainly follow). So there’s no Acromantula or dragon or Mantu. There is, however, a nasty Nundu and a possibly dangerous Graphorn. And there are plenty of friendly creatures, among them a Niffler, a Bowtruckle, and a Thunderbird.

Note to those for whom none of the above makes any sense: There’s also a cast of friendly and not-so-friendly characters, most important of whom is Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), who has just arrived in 1926 New York, a well worn suitcase in hand, on a mission to do some research for a textbook about the beasts and creatures from the wizarding world. Although he’s unaware of it, his timing couldn’t be any better. It seems that New York is under attack, most likely by an invisible Dark Wizard named Grindelwald, who’s going about ripping up streets and tearing down buildings.

But let’s get back to that suitcase. It just so happens that a hardworking but hapless New Yorker named Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) who is a normal fellow, not a wizard (or in Potter-speak, a Muggle in England, or a No-Maj in America) has an identical one. Because he’s on his way to apply for a job at a bakery, it’s filled with yummy pastries. Newt’s is filled with ... other things. Yup, it’s the old accidental suitcase switcheroo, and it triggers a hefty portion of the film’s bountiful supply of adventure.

A Niffler (a platypus-like creature that likes shiny objects) escapes from the suitcase, and comic encounters ensue as it makes its way among No-Majs, with Newt after it before havoc is wreaked. Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), who once held an important post at the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), but was demoted, sees a chance to get her old job back when she discovers “unregistered wizard” Newt in town. No, she isn’t one of those “not-so-friendly” folks, but you’ve gotta wonder what’s up with MACUSA’s Director of Magical Security, the mysterious Percival Graves (Colin Farrell). And what about the obviously no good No-Maj Mary Lou Barebone (Samantha Morton), who fiercely heads up the New Preservation Society, which is dedicated to stopping witchcraft in New York, and her just plain weird stepson Credence (Ezra Miller), who’s so shy he can’t look anyone directly in the eye.

There are characters galore, whose paths keep crossing, some of whom help each other, while some just want to instill harm. And there are more beasts than characters, some of them cute and playful, others big and kind of dodgy.

Directed by David Yates, who made the last four films in the Potter series, so knows what he’s doing with magic movies and movie magic, the film isn’t exactly a comedy, but it is wondrous and whimsical, and at times very funny. Yet it also has a dark side, one that gets even more sinister than those later-Potter films and, while fine for mature young viewers, the film will have no trouble finding and satisfying more adult audiences.

Visual effects work, notably the blending of puppets, CGI creations, and people, is superb and completely believable, and Eddie Redmayne, with his mop of hair and inquisitive eyes, is absolutely perfect in the lead role. Here’s hoping this really is the first of a new series.

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